Though we are in different classes, have different workloads, and take interest in different areas, one thing is unanimously true for all Prep students. We have really heavy schoolbags. Prep students–and students across America–need their stuff! Maybe your day-to-day essentials are minimalist: a graphing calculator, a few notebooks, and a stray pencil. Or maybe it takes a little more to feel prepared for the day, and you have your makeup bag, three textbooks, expandable-zipper pencil case, trusty Hydroflask, and charger for every device imaginable. Especially now that autumn has crept up on us and school is in full swing, it is imperative to have the perfect bag to accompany you. On our campus, there’s a pretty clear divide between the bags students choose to use. This year, you’re just as likely to see a keychained purse stylishly slung over a shoulder as you are a sensible, sturdy Jansport. You have to wonder–what’s really better? Purses or backpacks? 

There are some pretty big gaps in the history of the schoolbag. The creation of the first bag dates back to around 3350-3105 BC, and was found by archaeologists on the mummy Otzi the Iceman in the ‘90s. For a long time after that, students going to school either used book straps to just hold their books and nothing else together, or they just held everything with their hands. The concept of a schoolbag didn’t really gain traction until the late 1960s, after the Jansport rucksacks had been established for a while. By chance, there had been a Jansport store connected to the campus of the University of Washington. Since it rained so frequently in Seattle, they received a wave of student customers looking for a weatherproof-ish bag to put their school things in. And thus, the use of backpacks for school was born. 

The history of the purse has similar historical roots. However, they have been a form of fashion and status symbol for centuries. As far back as the Middle Ages, the elite class used a particular kind of purse: one with a triangular metal frame and leather body. After that, purses just kept evolving with the current fashion trends. For example, when sleek and form fitting designs became all the rage in the 18th century, purses followed suit, becoming more slender with a wrist strap. Fashion and wealth have been intertwined since the beginning of their co-existence–so it’s no surprise that to be in style and have the latest purse, you had to be at the top of the food chain. 

So how did purses and backpacks, two bags with such different backgrounds, collide in schools? The New Rebels Blog suggests that a need to express individuality is what drove us to go rouge with our bags, suggesting that “young individuals want to stand out from the crowd and showcase their personality through their clothing and accessories,” and that “ (purses) offer a wide(r) range of designs, colors, and styles, allowing students to choose a bag that resonates with their own taste and style.” 

Now, to settle the debate: which one is better? While backpacks are undeniably more sturdy and generally more spacious, too, is that a reasonable trade off for the style value and self-expression purses allow us to portray? And if so, are we willing to sacrifice those things for the comfort of two straps balanced on both your shoulders? We asked Prep students why they wear the bag they do, and here’s what they had to say… 

Rachel Lee ‘26 – “(My purse is) cuter and it’s easier to organize everything, only con is that one shoulder is weaker than the other”

Lucas Stanton ‘27 – “I like my Frye (letterman) bag because it’s not that big so it forces me to prioritize only what I need for school and it pushes me to use my locker.”

Kaitlyn Lavichant ‘26 – “I think (my purse) is just more accessible and it’s easier to get stuff in and out of it.” 

Nic Aparicio ‘27 – “If you don’t have back pain, you’re not doing it right. The bigger the better.”

At the end of the day, the debate between purses and backpacks can only be settled by you. It’s whichever one calls to you more! And let’s not forget about all the things that fall in between these two categories: like messenger bags, tote bags, or maybe even a rogue rolly backpack. Whatever bag you choose to don for the remaining three quarters of the school year, know that only you know your version of style and practicality.